Healthy Floridians

Funded by donations from physicians, corporations and other generous benefactors, the Foundation for Healthy Floridians is the FMA’s 501(c)(3) charitable vehicle for supporting public health programs, physician leadership training, medical education and physician wellness.

Obesity is an epidemic. Thirty-six percent of Americans are obese and only 36 percent of Floridians are at a healthy weight. One in every three children (31.7 percent) ages 2 to 19 is overweight or obese. Each year, obesity-related diseases (muscle and joint problems, chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, etc.) result in an estimated 400,000 deaths nationwide and $190 billion in healthcare costs – nearly 21 percent of all medical spending. At this rate, by 2030, over half of Florida’s population will be obese.

The Foundation for Healthy Floridians’ Healthy Living Initiative aims to reverse this alarming trend by providing Florida physicians with resources to help patients make informed decisions about nutrition and lifestyle habits that lead to better health.

The Healthy Living Toolkit is brought to you by the Florida Medical Association, the FMA Foundation for Healthy Floridians and the Aetna Foundation.
Content provided by Kristen Hicks-Roof Ph.D., RDN, LDN and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).